Roasted Summer Vegetable & Mozzarella Stack

Recipe by Alaina Barron, Natural Chef and Spirit Rock Retreat Cook

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 head garlic, peeled

Olive oil

1 bay leaf

1 sprig fresh rosemary

2 large red bell peppers sliced in half lengthwise, seeds and pith removed

1 medium eggplant sliced into ½-1-inch rounds

2 small zucchini sliced lengthwise into ½-inch thick slices

2 pattypan squash sliced into ½-1-inch rounds

1 red onion sliced into ½-1-inch rounds

8 cremini mushrooms, cleaned (leave whole)

½ pound fresh mozzarella, sliced into ½ inch rounds

1 bunch basil leaves picked, stems removed

Salt & pepper

Balsamic vinegar (the higher quality the better!)

You'll also need small bamboo skewers

1. Preheat oven to 420°F.
2. Braise garlic: Place garlic in a small saucepan and cover with olive oil. Add rosemary and bay leaf. Simmer on low until garlic is soft. Take off the heat and set aside.
3. Drizzle all vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish and roast in oven until browned. Some veggies will cook quicker than others, so you’ll need to monitor them. Roasting will take 20-40 minutes. The onion will cook quickest, the peppers will take the longest. When the vegetables are browned, remove them from the oven.
4. When veggies are cool enough to handle, begin stacking in this order: Place red pepper on the bottom, followed by eggplant, zucchini, pattypan squash, mozzarella, whole basil leaf, and onion. Skewer two mushrooms then insert skewer into veggie stack.
5. Top each stack with 1 tbsp. garlic oil, 2 cloves of braised garlic, and a drizzle of balsamic, or to your liking.